The Simon Wiesenthal Center bestowed its highest honor, the Humanitarian Award, upon Jim Gianopulos, Chairman and CEO of Twentieth Century Fox Film, for his support of the Simon Wiesenthal Center and its Museum of Tolerance.

"The truly great legacy of Simon Wiesenthal and the work of the Center is that those who have suffered and died did not do so in vain, and their memory must compel all of us in our attitude and conduct. The Museum gives voice to those who have encountered this hatred and intolerance and their personal stories are powerful and incisive reminders of what is at stake...Your generosity allows the incredible Simon Wiesenthal Center to continue its critical mission for generations to come," said Mr. Gianopulos after accepting the Center's Humanitarian Award (read full speech here).

Photo L-R: Rabbi Meyer H. May, SWC Executive Director; Rabbi Marvin Hier; Jim Gianopulos; Jeffrey Katzenberg and Larry A. Mizel, SWC Board of Trustees Chairman.
Photo: Ruth Andal

Rabbi Marvin Hier, SWC Founder and Dean added, “The Center is thrilled to honor Jim Gianopulos, one of the giants of the entertainment world, for his leadership and generous support of our institution and many other worthwhile humanitarian causes.”

Jeffrey Katzenberg, CEO of DreamWorks Animation, longtime SWC Trustee, and Dinner Chair, who presented the award to Mr. Gianopulos, said, “Your donations are helping the Wiesenthal Center continue to fulfill its mission to ensure that the painfully hard-won lessons of history will not be forgotten so that generations to come will never again repeat the tragic errors of the past
…the Center’s impact is wide and deep and crucially important. Thank you for helping it continue to move forward with its mission to educate, enlighten and inspire here in Los Angeles and around the world.”

Other dinner Chairs included Chase Carey, News Corp. President and COO; Eddy Cue, Apple Computer Senior Vice President; Bob Iger, The Walt Disney Company Chairman and Chief Executive; Ron Meyer, Universal Studios President and COO & SWC Trustee; and Rupert Murdoch, News Corp. Founder, Chairman and CEO and past SWC honoree.

Dinner supporters from the world of entertainment included James Brooks, James Cameron, Michael Douglas & Catherine Zeta-Jones, Tom Cruise, David Geffen, Tom Hanks, George Lucas, Michael Mann, Ridley Scott, Steven Spielberg, and Ben Stiller among others.

The Center also presented Medals of Valor awards to Waitstill and Martha Sharp, American Unitarians who helped save Jews during WWII, accepted posthumously by their grandson, Artemis Joukowsky III (in wheelchair), accompanied by Dr. Alex Strasser, son of one of the Sharp's survivors (behind Mr. Joukowsky); Mother Maria Elisabetta Hesselblad and Mother Ricarda Beauchamp Hambrough, Catholic nuns who sheltered Jews from the Nazis in Rome, accepted posthumously by Father Norbert Hofmann, Vatican official (far right) and survivor, Lamberto Piperno, and son, Ariel (far left); and Murry Sidlin, a renowned conductor who found and re-created a powerful musical performance by Jewish concentration camp inmates (center), along with SWC officials, Rabbi Abraham Cooper, Rabbi Hier and MOT Director, Liebe Geft.